Are there any certain times in May that it might be more difficult to get hotels in London? i.e. Like here in the U.S. in some areas one cannot get hotels without paying a premium, if at all -- like Memorial Day or Labor Day weekends or the Rodeo week in Cheyenne Wy. We are looking at arriving London early on the 9th of May and leaving on either the 17th or 18th of May.

No problems. The school Easter holidays are over, public holidays are on 5 and 26 May, but not in your period, and summer half term is 31 May to 4 June. You have chosen a delicious time of year.

It was a lover and his lass,
With a hey, and a ho, and a hey nonino
That o er the green corn field did pass.
In spring time, in spring time, the only pretty ring time,
When birds do sing, hey ding a ding a ding;
Sweet lovers love the spring.

And therefore take the present time
With a hey, and a ho, and a hey nonino,
For love is crownéd with the prime
In spring time, in spring time, the only pretty ring time,
When birds do sing, hey ding a ding a ding;
Sweet lovers love the spring.

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Mr. Haines, Great. Thanks for the prompt reply and the poem. Is that an original or did I miss that one when I took English Lit? Of course, if it was written in the last 30-40 years I would have missed it in English Lit anyway <G>

Mike

Ben - what holiday is May 5th? Thanks.

Ben is quoting from an obscure provincial English hack writer who plagiarised other people's plots and turned them into potboiler plays with really silly titles. And threw little ditties into them to entertain the lowlifes in the cheap seats.

Take Ben's example. Who'd waste their time going to see something with as dumb a title as "As you like it"?

Barbara S. I had to look it up in Google. It is the Early May Bank Holiday, and in 2004 falls on 3 May: it was in 2003 that it fell on 5 May. In the same way the late May holiday falls in 2004 on 24 May, not 26 May. My error is not important here, but I should have preferred to get it right. Both dates are pale reflections of their past. The earlier holiday is in place of 1 May which most countries of Europe keep as the day of the workers (I think Mrs Thatcher moved it, as a day she found displeasing), and the later is in place of Pentecost or Whitsun, the day of fire in the mind, which moves about in the calendar too much for modernisers.

Never mind Mrs Thatcher: all good Europeans and liberals will mark 1 May 2004 as the day ten fine countries of Europe come to strengthen the European Union (and anyone from Estonia to Malta can come to work in Britain). I have a small flag, blue with stars, to hang out that day. The many Fodor s forum readers who know Prague, Krakow and Budapest will know why we rejoice.

Mikex. flanneruk has answered you

flanneruk. Often have I spent my time going to see something with as dumb a title as "As you like it"

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Thanks Ben - I am traveling to London, Paris and Edinburgh April 29 - May 11 and apparently will encounter several holidays May Day - May 1, Bank Holiday - May 3, Liberation Day (Paris) - May 8 - Since this is my first time in Europe, I would like to plan carefully so I don't miss seeing something because of the holidays.